


The Big Night

by Clever_Girl_22



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Triple Date, chaos but fluffy chaos, sand sibs, valentine's gift exchange, weekend getaway shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clever_Girl_22/pseuds/Clever_Girl_22
Summary: After years of adventures and good times, Gaara is finally ready to pop the big question to Lee, but the question is can he actually get the words out, or will his siblings ruin the surprise?
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee, Inuzuka Kiba/Kankurou, Nara Shikamaru/Temari
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33
Collections: Naruto Multishippers Anonymous





	1. Suit and Tie and All That Jazz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [umauzumaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/umauzumaki/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! This sweet story is for Brea; go check out there neat stuff @ umauzumaki on Tumblr! I adore the Sand Sibs and each of these ships, as well as the unique and unrequited chaos they all create. Enjoy!

**_Tap, tap, tap!_ **

The knocker on their hotel door signaled Gaara to Temari's arrival. Startled, the Kazekage quickly threw on some clothes and tried to smooth his hair; in bed was Lee, half-asleep and drooped over the frame like a discarded magazine.

 _'Early, as always.'_ Gaara lamented, the knocking gett louder and more irritable.

"You better have not dozed off again!" Temari called.

Lee stirred and yawned, "What's going on, Ra?"

"We overslept _again,"_ Gaara replied, hopping around as he stuffed on a pair of socks, "I suggest you get dressed and quickly."

He scurried over to the closet and grabbed his formal jacket, along with his holster and kicked on some boots. Temari knocked again and grumbled something, but Gaara ignored it; he was currently searching for the velvet box he stuffed into his breast pocket the night before.

_'Where is it...where is it...'_

**_Tap, Tap!_ **

_"Jeez,_ Gaara, you think Lee would've had you up and _running_ by 5 AM!"

"I'm coming, Sis! Just be _patient_ please for once..."

Temari and Shikamaru were celebrating their second anniversary of marriage together, a milestone for Gaara as the Kazekage and as a little brother. Temari was more precious to him than words could describe and he was positively flattered when she had--rather shyly--handed him a formal invitation to the spa they had booked for the weekend. Naturally, Gaara was offered a plus-one and picked Lee without hesitation. After years of love and loyalty, this mini vacation presented Gaara with the perfect opportunity to ask his partner the biggest question of their lives. So far, the weekend had been relatively pleasant, with Kankuro and Kiba (a rather surprising plus-one, as far as Gaara was concerned) tagging along for dinner the previous night. 

"Come on, Lee, we gotta go." Gaara urged, throwing a comb through his hair.

"I need maybe two more minutes, please." He replied.

Gaara sighed and grabbed his eyeliner, working his water lines. Proposing to Rock Lee would be no small feat; between his enthusiastic personality and even more eccentric father-figure, he needed to work every trick up his sleeve in order to impress his partner. So far, Temari had agreed to help, enlisting Shikamaru as their guide to organizing as romantic a vacation as possible for the couples, complete with exquisite evening meals, joint spa sessions, and even an array of private entertainment selections. The setting was perfect and the proposal Gaara had ceaselessly practiced with Kankuro was flawless--the only problem was that the Kazekage couldn't seem to find the engagement ring Temari had picked out...

"Gaara, I swear to God, we're going to be late for our reservation," Temari shouted, "I'm giving you two minutes before I front-kick the door down and _drag_ both your asses there myself!"

"She's cranky." Lee giggled.

"Please, love, get dressed. we're going to be late and you're never late." Gaara replied, exasperated.

Unfortunately, Kankuro and Kiba had come the night before; Temari and Shikamaru had retired to their own rooms for privacy and the two rowdy men insisted on having a mini mixer of some sorts, which resulted in a still-tipsy Lee and a raging headache on Gaara's part. To no one's surprise, both Kiba and Kankuro had disappeared into the night without a trace.

 _'As did my ring.'_ Garaa limited.

Finally, he grabbed his gourd from the dresser and fastened it on, thumbing the engraved symbol etched in its shell. Rock Lee's first token of adoration had been to take Gaara's gourd and ask TenTen to engraved the symbol of 'Love' that was seared onto his own forehead. It had struck Gaara as the oddest and sweetest thing a person had done for him in a very long time, so much so that the engagement ring he was planning on proposing with had the same character etched into its inside. 

Gaara smiled at the thought of it; it was simple yet powerful. Rock Lee would love it just as much as he loved him.

"C'mere, please." 

Lee beckoned Gaara with a droopy hand, the other patting a space on the mattress next to him in a welcoming manner. Gaara shook his head and smiled in spite of himself.

"You, dearest, are horribly intoxicated still," He soothed, bending over to stare at Lee, "And we are running on a rather tight schedule. Can you please get up and get dressed? I promise we can cuddle when we come back from brunch."

Gaara's request was met with a lopsided smile and sloppy attempt of a kiss, Lee's lips missing his partner's and gracing his nose instead. With a laugh, Gaara bet forward and brushed away a few wild strands of black hair, returning the gesture with a tad bit more precision.

"Promise?" Lee hiccuped.

"As always."

"Ugh, boys, I can _hear_ you kissing! Let's get moving already!"

*************

Gaara's mind continued to wander for the remainder of the afternoon, jumping between his proposal and where he could have possibly placed the engagement ring; last time he had seen it, Kankuro was in the room with him. So, logic pointed to asking his brother, then. Plain and simple.

_'He could have just taken it by accident...'_

For now, though, Gaara would have to wait; Temari and Shikamaru had invited him and Lee to the resort's private spa room and, once again, neither Kankuro or Kiba were to be found. They sat together in the water, Rock Lee's cheeks now red with heat instead of booze, while Temari and Shikamaru were discussing his new position under the Sixth Hokage. Absentmindedly, Gaara pulled Lee closer, leaning his head against his partner's collarbone and thumbing one of his back muscles.

"Gaara, what's your opinion on Naruto becoming the seventh Hokage?" Shikamaru asked suddenly.

The Kazekage started slightly, "Why would it matter what I think? My opinion is biased since he's one of my dearest friends."

"Well, your opinion is valuable as the Kazekage," Temari added, "As a world leader, your say matters in more than just our village's affairs."

Gaara sat back and crossed his arms against his bare chest; he still wasn't accustomed to his role yet. Once the war had ended, most of the Kages had taken on apprentices to pass down their titles to, yet Gaara was nowhere near such plans. He was barely in his twenties--unless he had a child, the Kazekage position would remain his for as long as possible. It was almost daunting to think that so much time had passed that Naruto was being considered as Kakashi's apprentice! Lee noticed the look of worry creasing in his partner's forehead and gently headbutted him.

"Hey, you're alright!" He whispered excitedly, "You don't need _me_ to tell you that you're _crushing it_ as Kazekage. I'm sure Nart's a good pick, anyways."

Gaara chuckled, "He's certainly ambitious enough for the job."

"Then, I'll let Lord Sixth know your position on the matter." Shikamaru said, nodding along and wrapping an arm around Temari's shoulder.

"Speaking of _ambition,"_ Temari said, "I think Gaara has something he's been planning for awhile..."

She and her husband exchanged glances, whispering into each other's ear and sneaking a look or two at Lee and a very disgruntled Gaara. Of course his sister couldn't keep a secret! Rock Lee turned to him expectantly, the Kazekage's heart fluttering at the truly 

"Wait, what's the surprise?"

"Oh, nothing just yet--you'll have to be patient with him for a bit." Temari snickered.

Gaara glared at her briefly and scrunched his face up; between his big sister's mouth and Kankuro's goldfish-esce memory, he was surprised his siblings hadn't blown his cover yet this weekend. And there had been plenty of times: as soon as they had arrived, Temari was gossiping with Shikamaru about the bridesmaid outfit she had already picked out, while Kankuro kept asking him if he had picked a beach theme or a forest theme for their destination. During dinner last night, Kiba and Kankuro had taken him and Lee out drinking; Gaara's older brother had gotten so plastered that he started blabbering about all the vows Gaara was already brainstorming. Thankfully, Lee was beyond clear-minded for the majority of the night and had seemed to have forgotten the whole thing. Regardless, Gaara was on edge.

"Right, but that's not important right now," He said through narrowed eyes, "Don't we have a dinner reservation to attend to in an hour?"

Shikamaru checked his watch, "Seems so, but we have plenty of time before we need to get ready; what's this surprise Temari is talking about?"

Gaara scowled and felt his face twitch, _' you're kidding me...you're almost as big of a gossip as my sister! You know exactly what's going on!'_

"oh, I'm afraid I can't say," He replied, "Perhaps if you were both willing to be _patient,_ I can deliver tonight."

"Yes, I think that'd be just fine, hm?" Temari smirked.

She laughed off the comment with her husband while Lee then launched himself into a promotional on why Naruto was so qualified to be Kakashi's successor. Gaara sighed with relief; thank the Lord his partner couldn't always read the room. A quarter of an hour later and they were out of the spa and back in their room getting ready for dinner, Gaara straightening his button-down while Lee combed out his own hair. Dammit, he was nervous! He adored Lee and here he was, stalling, almost. He couldn't even find the ring again! The night was turning into an absolute _disaster_ and sooner or later Rock Lee was going to find--

"Are you okay, babe?"

Gaara turned to Lee's voice with an anxious look written on his face; he was so caught up in his own thought he didn't fully realise he'd been tying his tie wrong.

"Oh, Yes. Erm, no, actually...sorry, dear, I'm just distracted by work back at home."

Lee raised an eyebrow and moved towards the Kazekage, offering a hand out to him. With a soft snort, Gaara gave up and let him take hold of the tie. 

"Y'know, it's _okay_ to ask for my help," He said cheerfully, unknotting the fabric and readjusting it around his neck, "You do so much for me and for us, so it's alright to just lemme help you with the small things."

"Heh, I know, but I need to learn eventually; who's going to keep respecting the Kazekage when people find out I can't even tie a simple--"

"You've never done a single thing to earn their disrespect. Not a single thing." 

"...I love you, Lee."

"And I love you too," Lee slipped a knot and pulled gently, "There! You look incredible, as always."

He turned Gaara to let him inspect himself in the vanity mirror, admiring both his own eyeliner and Lee's just-done eyelashes. He could relax, if only to get through dinner. Then, when Lee was fast asleep or even preoccupied by Shikamaru, Gaara and Temari would find the engagement box. It was simple and precise, no problems arising in the future.

 _'I can do, of course. He means the world to me so it really shouldn't be that hard.'_ Gaara convinced himself.

With one last check in the mirror (and a few doting kisses between them), the pair was off to find Temari and Shikamaru in the resort's bistro. When they arrived, Temari had already had a table seated and--to no one's surprise--neither Kiba nor Kankuro were present. 

"And where might our brother be?" Gaara asked, pulling out a chair for Lee.

Temari grunted, "Beat's me. Those two morons are probably out clubbing, for all I know or care."

"I can totally see that." Lee said with a laugh.

Shikamaru nodded and waved a hand, "Honestly, it leaves in a better place--we've had peace and quiet all weekend and I for one am _not_ going to complain about it."

*************

For the majority of the night, Gaara and the rest of the party had a lovely time; Shikamaru indulge them all in the latest Hidden Leaf news while Lee announced Gai's official adoption papers he had signed, and Temari just couldn't stop gushing over Choji and Karui's wedding. It was pleasant, it was peaceful, and by the time they were ordering the check, Gaara felt confident enough to pop his big question. He (thankfully) had found the velvet box in the pocket of his tux while getting ready, and saw no other chance but now.

Gaara took a deep breath, _'Just talk to him like you do every morning when we wake up; tell a reason why you love him and a reason he makes you smile.'_

"Rock, hun, I think it's time I tell you something."

Gaara could typically hear the sequel coming from Temari and Shikamaru's end of the table, while Rock Lee looked up from his meal, eyes full and wide with attention. On the corner of his lips was a little crumb of food; suddenly, Gaara felt excited. He had never been so excited before, really. This was Rock Lee! He had loved him ever since they were teenagers, had been allies since they were children. He'd comfort and cheer on his Green Beast for the rest of his life, if he could. And, dammit, Gaara could. All he needed to do was ask.

"Rock Lee," He began again, "I feel that I've had enough time to think--to really, _really_ think and plan for this. We've been together for long enough that I can no longer see a world without your heart and your soul challenging me and lifting me up. And, though I have always gone along a path alone, I think I'm ready to say that..."

Temari and Shikamaru held their breath while Rock Lee's eyes started to water as Gaara pulled the delicate box from his coat. He felt energized, scared, and exuberant all at the same time...too bad Kankuro wouldn't be able to see it.

_'Oh, well, I'll just have to send him pictures, then.'_

**_Pop!_ **

The box was open, the air quiet, the scene set...

"Son of a bitch!"


	2. Just Say Yes, Already!

"Wait...what?"

The ring was gone.

"Son of bitch," Temari said, "Where'd you put it?"

Gaara looked between his sister, Shikamaru, and then his own partner--he had no idea! 

"I...I have no idea what happened to it! I swore I had the box this morning and--"

"You didn't have the box this morning?" Shikamaru asked.

Gaara nodded his head, "Yes. But when I woke up this morning to get ready, the box was gone. The only other people in our room were Rock, me, Kiba, and Kank."

"Gaara...you're proposing to me?"

Gaara's unease only heightened when he looked at his partner's face: Lee was a mixture of concern and confusion. This did not bode well.

"Yes, but nevermind that; I think we need to pay _someone_ a little visit..." Temari declared, throwing her napkin down and grabbing her coat.

The rest of the men followed along as she led them out of the bistro, heels clicking commandingly while an angry sneer grew on her face. Gaara grabbed Lee's hand out of instinct and felt the other man twitch in response. This whole event had gone to ruin, so badly that Lee might not even be interested! It was a disaster and a failure--how could he, Gaara of the Sand and reigning Kazekage, have blundered so poorly?

"Lee, I'm sorry, love." Gaara whispered.

"Don't say anything about it," He said with reassurance, "We'll figure this out soon enough. Then, we can _talk."_

The way Lee's tongue clicked at the word _talk_ made Gaara's stomach sink; it was becoming more and more clear that the very thought of proposing was a horrible idea. The group barreled up the resort stairs, rushing past other guests and housekeeping as they headed towards an unknown room.

"Where're we going?” Lee asked.

"My idiot brother's room." Temari growled.

Gaara shook his head, "But we already established that it's not in our room!"

"Oh, no, no, no--my _other_ idiot brother's room."

Gaara gulped as they rounded another corner and hiked up another flight of stairs; Temari's temper was just simply _not_ worth the time anymore. It was better left unprovoked at this point in life. They finally stopped at an unknown door.

"Aha! Here we are." Temari hissed.

She yanked out a key from her pant suit pocket and stabbed it into the door lock, the knob squealing under the pressure of her twist; the rest of the braced themselves. Unfortunately, the room was empty. Temari scowled while Shikamaru scratched at his head.

"Have you seen either of them this weekend?" He asked no one in particular.

Gaara shook his head, "Kank brought drinks over Friday night, but that was the last we saw of them." 

"Honestly, I don't remember much from the night," Lee added, "I admittedly was pretty trashed."

"We're aware." Temari said, rummaging through drawers; Gaara tackled the bathroom while Shikamaru and Lee searched the rest of the place.

Soon, Shikamaru grabbed something, "Huh, I think we found some type of clue...what a goddamn drag."

The rest of their group swarmed him at the edge of the nightstand; Gaara snatched the clue--a piece of paper--and unfolded it. Sure enough, it was Kankuro's: he had scribbled a few words, none that matched with each other, with a messy black ink and what appeared to be drool (probably Kiba's). Gaara squinted his eyes to try and decipher the handwriting.

"Our brother writes like chicken shit." Temari scowled.

"You mean chicken _scratch."_

"Nope. Chicken _shit."_

Lee took the list, "We have 'tub', 'keys', and 'date'...let's start with the first one. Nobody's in the tub, so where do we go with this?"

They stood and pondered a bit, Gaara's brain ticking away. When Kiba and Kankuro had come by, nobody had ended up in the bathtub. In fact, the only thing that was in the bathtub for some reason was...

"Guys, we need to go to my room right now!"

Gaara took off, dragging Lee behind him while his sister and Shikamaru power-walked to keep up. Once again, they rounded corners, carneed down flights of stairs, and zipped through hallways.

 _'Of course it was them!'_ Gaara realized, _'It'd have been them!'_

"Gaara, what's going on? Do you think they got into the room?" Lee asked.

Gaara nodded; they finally stopped by his and Rock's hotel room. Cautiously, the Kazekage toggled the knob--it was locked.

 _'No matter. I still have the spare.'_ He decided.

With a swift click, Gaara unlocked the door and the group barreled in.

"Alright, what do you think you're--"

"Oh, son of a _bitch!"_ Temari cried.

The group stood next to the bathroom entrance and ogled at a spectacular sight: Kiba and Kankuro were both sitting in the tub, a bubble bath running and soft meditation music playing on the counter from Kiba's phone. Upon closer inspection, Gaara noticed that both his brother and Kiba had clay masks and fancy on and an aromatherapy mister going.

"What the...is that my brow kit on the counter?" Lee asked.

Kiba and Kankuro exchanged guilty glances and set down their half-empty wine glasses. 

"Oh, hey guys!" Kankuro said casually.

Gaara's jaw dropped, "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Oh, well, y'see, we needed to get a little quiet time," Kiba explained with a wink, "Really give ourselves some _intimate_ private time."

"Wait, you're _dating?!"_ Temari cried.

"Actually, Big Sis, we're _eloping."_ Kankuro explained.

 _"Wait,_ _what?!"_

Kiba and Kankuro dainty knocked glasses while Shikamaru slapped his palm to his face in dismay.

"So you took my ring, then?" Gaara demanded.

Without a word, Kankuro popped a gold band from beneath the water's foam. Immediately, the entire group gasped; Gaara, flustered and frustrated, snatched it from his brother and dried it with a hand towel.

"I _told_ you, Kank, that this weekend was important!" He lamented, "I told you _and_ Temari that I needed this to be the perfect getaway! I'm the Kazekage--I don't get to _have fun_ and spend all my time with my partner because I am always so--"

"Gaara, beautiful, look at me."

Lee had grabbed both his hands, digging the gold band from his clenched fist and taking it onto his thumb. Gaara, in spite of himself, let out a smile; his lover still had cloth wrapped around his knuckles, even when he was in a suit and tie. It was ridiculous yet adorable, and Gaara took a deep breath. 

_'You love him with all your heart, right? This is already a trainwreck...might as well tie the knot...'_

"Rock," He began, lacing his fingers between his lover's and steeling himself, "This weekend has been an absolute mess. And I'm a world away from you, but I love you so much that I can't even think of anything to propose to you with. I had this all planned out and yet I cannot even figure out how to tell you how much I need you in my life. Rock, my darling, I love you. _I love you_ so much. I want to build a life with you and take care of a child with you and do all these beautiful things with you because _you're_ beautiful! I just...I just..."

"Just say yes, right?" Lee said with a wink.

He slipped the ring off of his thumb and onto Gaara's own ring finger.

"Well, yeah, _of course_ I'm going to say yes. You mean the world to me, the absolute _world_ to me."

And with that, he pulled Gaara into the biggest, deepest hug that the Kazekage had ever had; Rock Lee smelled like sweat and eucalyptus, like fresh bread and a hot pot of tea and oranges and so many wonderful things that Gaara couldn't help but sigh and layer his lover's face with kisses and tears. He was getting married, married to _Rock Lee!_ It was a moment so beautiful, so sweet, that the group entirely forgot about the other engaged couple in the bathroom.

"So, do we get to be bridesmaids?" Kiba asked.

Temari and Shikamaru scowled while Rock Lee let loose a laugh so hearty and pure that Gaara refused to let go. And he refused to let go during the ceremony when they said their vows, when their friends cheered and cried during their wedding photos, when he and Lee finally exchanged bands and kisses, and when they slept once more in the same bed, now bonded for life. He'd refuse to let go when they adopted two boys, when they held anniversary parties, and when he finally stepped down as Kazekage. Gaara refused to let go of Rock, plain and simple.

And they liked it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this was so much fun to write. I hope y'all have a lovely holiday and eat some good candy and chocolate. As always, comments and constructive criticism are appreciated!


End file.
